Tonight was Stephens night for cooking, I was his sous chef =) didnt stay out of it completely cause we were a little bit in a hurry if we wanted to get to the gym before 8pm but I didnt interefere! I am proud of myself. And the sweet and sour pork was really really yummy! Well done Stevie!
torsdag 30 september 2010
onsdag 29 september 2010
Camera club
So tonight was my third visit to the camera club and on the schedule for tonight was a secret mission that we didnt find out about until we got there. Probably because at least I wouldnt have made it tonight if I had known. The task was to go out and take a portrait of a stranger, preferably in their own home. This was to break all the barriers as a photographer because if you can manage to do this you can do pretty much anything. And if you are the person opening the door it is very intrusive, imagine letting a complete stranger with a massive camera into your home to take photos of you. I dont know if I would have let them in. And I didnt take any portraits tonight, I did not have a nice feeling at all when I found out what we were doing. I tagged along with another guy, whos (stupid?) idea this was, and he was determined to do it even though he felt almost as awkward as I did. So we walked up the stairs in an apartment house and he started knocking doors. It was the same stairwell in which his brother lived so he had a small advantage if people got suspicious. And amazingly he was let in at all the three apartments he tried. I was just standing watching in the background, like an apprentice =) It might have be a little bit less confronting because I was there, maybe if he did it on his own they would have been more suspicious.
When I drove back home I realised that situations like these makes me feel really uncomfortable, like the most uncomfortable I can get, almost. I just didnt want to do it so I didnt. He tried to push me a bit which is good but I still didnt do it. Maybe if we do it again and I can mentally prepare with a bit more determination I will but this time I had decided straight away that I wasnt gonna do it, and nothing could change that. I need a bit more time to work it through in my head first. Next time...
There was only one more that had been let into someones home, the others had gotten a no, or didnt try to get into someone but instead asked people on the street if they could take their portrait. I could probably have stretched that far but my "partner" was so determined in his quest.
Anyway, it was interesting and I guess I got to know myself a bit better, at least one of my weaknesses.
When I drove back home I realised that situations like these makes me feel really uncomfortable, like the most uncomfortable I can get, almost. I just didnt want to do it so I didnt. He tried to push me a bit which is good but I still didnt do it. Maybe if we do it again and I can mentally prepare with a bit more determination I will but this time I had decided straight away that I wasnt gonna do it, and nothing could change that. I need a bit more time to work it through in my head first. Next time...
There was only one more that had been let into someones home, the others had gotten a no, or didnt try to get into someone but instead asked people on the street if they could take their portrait. I could probably have stretched that far but my "partner" was so determined in his quest.
Anyway, it was interesting and I guess I got to know myself a bit better, at least one of my weaknesses.
måndag 27 september 2010
Dörarp and Älmhult in Autumn colours
Marie and I went for a walk today in the chilly autumn weather, it wasnt the greatest light for photography but I decided to take the camera anyway and try to capture the autumn colours in Småland. One could almost think it was a bright and sunny day on some of the shots but the sky was just evenly gray with clouds. And of course we didnt meet anyone in the track until I decided to lay flat on my belly to shoot the leaves from a very low angle, as soon as I was flat to the ground there were two joggers coming past and I am sure they were a bit curious as to what I was doing. I decided to add them in the frame and I am actually quite happy with it.
Oak leaves turning orange and brown from the edges, still green in the center, fascinating!
A very poisonous mushroom that is common in Sweden, it cannot be mistaken for something eatable but it is really pretty. I didnt really get the colours right in this one, they have a fantastic red colour.
You laugh at me as much as you want, you are still going to be in the photo! Whoever you are!
Stephen decided to grab the camera and take some photos of me, payback time maybe!? I guess you could say that my new found gray hairs would match the colour of the sky and therefore be part of todays autumn theme =)
A vine of something, growing outside my grandparents house. It almost looks like I used the flash but I didnt, the colours are amazing though.
The church in autum colours.
One can almost think this is a sunny summer day.
Oak leaves turning orange and brown from the edges, still green in the center, fascinating!
A very poisonous mushroom that is common in Sweden, it cannot be mistaken for something eatable but it is really pretty. I didnt really get the colours right in this one, they have a fantastic red colour.
You laugh at me as much as you want, you are still going to be in the photo! Whoever you are!
Stephen decided to grab the camera and take some photos of me, payback time maybe!? I guess you could say that my new found gray hairs would match the colour of the sky and therefore be part of todays autumn theme =)
A vine of something, growing outside my grandparents house. It almost looks like I used the flash but I didnt, the colours are amazing though.
The church in autum colours.
fredag 24 september 2010
Ok, so I am turning 30 soon and it doesn’t scare me or makes me feel old. Honestly. Not the number 30, I actually feel pretty good about it. And it doesn’t make me feel old at all. 30 years old.
But, there is always a “but”, there has been a couple of occasions lately that did make me feel old. Well maybe not old but at least older, if you know what I mean.
1. For some reason I always get food stuck in my teeth and have to use a toothpick or floss every time that I have eaten. That’s something my parents do, I shouldn’t have to do it! I am not even 30 =) Ok if I had passed 40, but now? No way!
2. The fact that the other day Stephen looked at me and saw the top of my head and was kind of surprised and shocked by all the grey hairs he saw, and it was true shock and surprise and not that teasing look on his face that he has when he is deliberately trying to stir me up. But I guess I am the one with the least grey hairs on the family so I probably shouldn’t complain, and mum did turn grey earlier than I have. And my hair colour kind of hides it anyway so it is not a big deal yet. But it has started, now I am discussing with myself whether I should start dying my hair or not on a regular basis, I am not convinced yet that I should.
So, turning 30 is pretty good I think, my life could be a heck of a lot worse than it is so turning 30 is just a minor detail that I cant do anything about anyway! I just have to stock up on toothpicks! I wish I had one now so that I could get rid of that remaining piece of my lunch...
But, there is always a “but”, there has been a couple of occasions lately that did make me feel old. Well maybe not old but at least older, if you know what I mean.
1. For some reason I always get food stuck in my teeth and have to use a toothpick or floss every time that I have eaten. That’s something my parents do, I shouldn’t have to do it! I am not even 30 =) Ok if I had passed 40, but now? No way!
2. The fact that the other day Stephen looked at me and saw the top of my head and was kind of surprised and shocked by all the grey hairs he saw, and it was true shock and surprise and not that teasing look on his face that he has when he is deliberately trying to stir me up. But I guess I am the one with the least grey hairs on the family so I probably shouldn’t complain, and mum did turn grey earlier than I have. And my hair colour kind of hides it anyway so it is not a big deal yet. But it has started, now I am discussing with myself whether I should start dying my hair or not on a regular basis, I am not convinced yet that I should.
So, turning 30 is pretty good I think, my life could be a heck of a lot worse than it is so turning 30 is just a minor detail that I cant do anything about anyway! I just have to stock up on toothpicks! I wish I had one now so that I could get rid of that remaining piece of my lunch...
torsdag 23 september 2010
Borta bra men hemma bäst!
It is nice to be home again, it is really starting to cool down outside and the leaves on the trees are turning orange and yellow. The air is crisp and clear, unless it is raining cause then it is only grey and boring. Today was a rainfree day and I went for a walk after work and it was beautiful. I wish I brought the camera but I am sure that if I would have brought it I would have wished I didnt =) Tomorrow I am going to a friend to have a girls night and watch Dirty Dancing, Stephen went fishing after work today with some friends so I have to even it out tomorrow =) Maybe Friday I will have time to get out with the camera after work if the weather allows it.
Stephen and I had lunch together today and on the way back we went for a quick look at an IKEA museum/exhibition that shows IKEA furniture from back in the 40's or something when it started and then 2 displays per decade with their furniture up until 21st century. I hope it is still open in May next year cause it was quite interesting to look at and I am sure any Aussies that may or may not pass through Älmhult around that time would like to have a look. I think I have read somewhere that they are making it a permanent museum but I am not sure.
Stephen cooked the dinner tonight, a very nice meatloaf with potato wedges and carrots. I think we need to make more of a habit of him cooking, I just have to learn to keep my fingers out of there. It dont really encourage him when I stick my nose in how he does things. Maybe if he cooks more often I will get used to it and learn to stay out of "his business". I think I will start the negotiations for that right now actually =)
Stephen and I had lunch together today and on the way back we went for a quick look at an IKEA museum/exhibition that shows IKEA furniture from back in the 40's or something when it started and then 2 displays per decade with their furniture up until 21st century. I hope it is still open in May next year cause it was quite interesting to look at and I am sure any Aussies that may or may not pass through Älmhult around that time would like to have a look. I think I have read somewhere that they are making it a permanent museum but I am not sure.
Stephen cooked the dinner tonight, a very nice meatloaf with potato wedges and carrots. I think we need to make more of a habit of him cooking, I just have to learn to keep my fingers out of there. It dont really encourage him when I stick my nose in how he does things. Maybe if he cooks more often I will get used to it and learn to stay out of "his business". I think I will start the negotiations for that right now actually =)
måndag 20 september 2010
tisdag 14 september 2010
Hongkong part 2 - predictive driving
Today I have been visiting a supplier I think outside Shenzhen, the cities here are so big I am not sure it it is Shenzhen or not but anyway, that was not the main topic of todays post. We went to the supplier by car, my colleague from our office here driving. I felt safe the whole way and was not sick at all. But OMG the driving skills of the people in this country, and then it is pretty safe here compared to Shanghai and Beijing. It seems like the only rule is to give way to everyone in front of you, I think people here develope a sense of where all the cars are going, hence the term predictive driving (I actually came up with that one myself, I am kind of happy with it =). The reasons to why you have to be predictive are many and I will name but a few important ones.
1. Indicators are unecessary, a waste of time and wrist motion, when the people behind you knows where you are going anyway you dont need to use any indicator. In case you are a bit unsure just beep to get the attention of the other drivers.
2. Try to drive across as many lanes as possible! It is preferrable if you can be in between 2 lanes, if you cant then at least drive on or as close as possible to the line, if you can pick the line closest to the car currently overtaking you that is the best option.
3. If you need to make a U-turn, try to cross as many lanes as possible on the way, of course dont use your indicator, trust the drivers around you to understand where you are going. And if you can do it when there is a red light you get bonus points.
4. Motorbikes, electric bikes, and normal bikes drive in the opposite direction of the rest of the cars, and they prefer to squeeze in between a row of parked cars and moving traffic, driving almost fast enough not to start wobbling on their bike, also preferrably with at least one passenger or carrying a load that is wide enough to stretch over 2 lanes.
5. Last but not least, take your number plate off your car, in that way you wont get caught by speed cameras and apparently the police doesnt really give rats about it anyway, they have better things to do than chase people speeding.
This list is all but complete, all I can say is that I am very happy that my colleague is a safe driver and I wasnt worried once on the roads. Well done Tony because I will never ever ever be sitting behind the steering wheel in a car in China!
1. Indicators are unecessary, a waste of time and wrist motion, when the people behind you knows where you are going anyway you dont need to use any indicator. In case you are a bit unsure just beep to get the attention of the other drivers.
2. Try to drive across as many lanes as possible! It is preferrable if you can be in between 2 lanes, if you cant then at least drive on or as close as possible to the line, if you can pick the line closest to the car currently overtaking you that is the best option.
3. If you need to make a U-turn, try to cross as many lanes as possible on the way, of course dont use your indicator, trust the drivers around you to understand where you are going. And if you can do it when there is a red light you get bonus points.
4. Motorbikes, electric bikes, and normal bikes drive in the opposite direction of the rest of the cars, and they prefer to squeeze in between a row of parked cars and moving traffic, driving almost fast enough not to start wobbling on their bike, also preferrably with at least one passenger or carrying a load that is wide enough to stretch over 2 lanes.
5. Last but not least, take your number plate off your car, in that way you wont get caught by speed cameras and apparently the police doesnt really give rats about it anyway, they have better things to do than chase people speeding.
This list is all but complete, all I can say is that I am very happy that my colleague is a safe driver and I wasnt worried once on the roads. Well done Tony because I will never ever ever be sitting behind the steering wheel in a car in China!
måndag 13 september 2010
Hong Kong here I am
I have passed through the airport in Hong Kong for the first, and probably not the last time. It is humid and quite warm, 30 degrees or just below I think, but the hotel room is freezing! I have turned up the aircon from 20 to 25 degrees and I am still cold, annoying. But better that way than the other way around, I dont sleep very well when it is hot, hardly sleep at all actually.
The hotel we are staying at used to be an old cruise ship that has been converted into a hotel. I guess a cruise ship is kind of a hotel but this one is on land and not in water anymore. It is pretty cool, I will make sure to take a photo of it before we leave, not sure why I havent already.
We went to a "greek" restaurant that served everything from Australian prime angus beef to nachos and burritos. I had a moroccan lamb dish with lots of vegetables, perfect for my new low carb diet that I just decided to start =) And it was really nice too!
And I have forgotten to tell everybody, maybe because the Australian immigration forgot to tell me, and it was medicare who sent my new medicare card (typ patient bricka i sverige, fast inte riktigt) to my dear parents-in-law-to-be and they in turn told me that I have received permanent residendy (of course, not citizenship) in Australia, hip hip hooray, or how ever you spell it. I am now allowed to come and go as much as I want/can afford for the next five years, then I have to renew it again. Obviously they didnt really care that we just moved to Sweden. I might just send an email to immigration and ask them myself, and also ask if I need a new visa sticker in my passport or not.
The hotel we are staying at used to be an old cruise ship that has been converted into a hotel. I guess a cruise ship is kind of a hotel but this one is on land and not in water anymore. It is pretty cool, I will make sure to take a photo of it before we leave, not sure why I havent already.
We went to a "greek" restaurant that served everything from Australian prime angus beef to nachos and burritos. I had a moroccan lamb dish with lots of vegetables, perfect for my new low carb diet that I just decided to start =) And it was really nice too!
And I have forgotten to tell everybody, maybe because the Australian immigration forgot to tell me, and it was medicare who sent my new medicare card (typ patient bricka i sverige, fast inte riktigt) to my dear parents-in-law-to-be and they in turn told me that I have received permanent residendy (of course, not citizenship) in Australia, hip hip hooray, or how ever you spell it. I am now allowed to come and go as much as I want/can afford for the next five years, then I have to renew it again. Obviously they didnt really care that we just moved to Sweden. I might just send an email to immigration and ask them myself, and also ask if I need a new visa sticker in my passport or not.
The happiest baby in the world!
I have spent the weekend in Stockholm with the Swedish girls that I used to hang out with in Adelaide, 4 of us have moved back to Sweden and it was great to catch up again. It was like yesterday we had our last "fika" (Coffee or tea and cake or biscuts or something sweet, we had lots of chocolate =)
And I have also met the happiest baby in the world, incredible. Anna brought her Isak with her as she is still breast feeding and he was the happiest, calmest baby ever. If he was unhappy he only whinged a little bit but no crying! And smiling the whole time, no matter if we were shopping or drinking coffee and chatting. You will see what I mean when I upload the photos. I just have to go to China first with work. But when I get back I hope to have some good shots to share. I have some already from this weekend but maybe some Chinese ones as well to mix it up a bit. I like taking photos of babies but I guess it can be a bit boring to look at the same happy baby for 15 shots. Maybe not for us who knows him though, and I have shot him in different surroundings as well, not the same pose and background over and over. He truly is happy 99% of the time. I am gonna have a baby like him =)
When we had lunch today Anna just fed him the food she brought, let him play for a while when he was sitting in the high chair, both flirting with us and playing on his own with a toy. Without the slightes little whinge or cry she then just put him in the pram, tucked him in and he fell asleep. At the cafe with us chatting right next to him. Incredible!
I have another 2 and a bit hours at the airport before it is time to board but I am almost out of batteries on the laptop and I cant be bothered to try and find a power point right now so I might just pack up and go for a walk and maybe call Stephen again and bug him a but. He is not overly excited to talk on the phone, never has been and probably never will be but as his fiancee I think I have the right to call him when I am a bit bored no matter if he likes it or not. And I guess he already asked me to marry him =)
And I have also met the happiest baby in the world, incredible. Anna brought her Isak with her as she is still breast feeding and he was the happiest, calmest baby ever. If he was unhappy he only whinged a little bit but no crying! And smiling the whole time, no matter if we were shopping or drinking coffee and chatting. You will see what I mean when I upload the photos. I just have to go to China first with work. But when I get back I hope to have some good shots to share. I have some already from this weekend but maybe some Chinese ones as well to mix it up a bit. I like taking photos of babies but I guess it can be a bit boring to look at the same happy baby for 15 shots. Maybe not for us who knows him though, and I have shot him in different surroundings as well, not the same pose and background over and over. He truly is happy 99% of the time. I am gonna have a baby like him =)
When we had lunch today Anna just fed him the food she brought, let him play for a while when he was sitting in the high chair, both flirting with us and playing on his own with a toy. Without the slightes little whinge or cry she then just put him in the pram, tucked him in and he fell asleep. At the cafe with us chatting right next to him. Incredible!
I have another 2 and a bit hours at the airport before it is time to board but I am almost out of batteries on the laptop and I cant be bothered to try and find a power point right now so I might just pack up and go for a walk and maybe call Stephen again and bug him a but. He is not overly excited to talk on the phone, never has been and probably never will be but as his fiancee I think I have the right to call him when I am a bit bored no matter if he likes it or not. And I guess he already asked me to marry him =)
onsdag 8 september 2010
Tonight is photonight!
I have been to my first "date" with the photo club in Hässleholm, about 40 mins drive from here. I will take the train in the future I think but tonight I drove there. The train is much quicker but on the other hand I either have to wait 45 mins or get there 15 mins late. Anyway, here is the "photo harvest" from tonights photowalk, theme was to make it look like a dodgy suburb from the 70's east Germany or something. Let your prejudice's flow =) My favourite is the red bin. Or maybe the broken orange lighter.
fredag 3 september 2010
2,5 weeks at work and I have gone home sick for the first time, I went to work but left again, no point getting everyone else sick. It is only a cold, too sick to work, not sick enough to stay at home, sort of. So I spent the afternoon reading specifications for the products I will work with. Exciting... IKEA is good that way, instead of taking a sick day I can work from home. Not that I have that much to do yet but I need to read those spec's anyway so it was a perfect opportunity.
We finally have our proper internet sorted. And all the new tv channels are on their way as well as a homephone. 6th of September it should all be here. And no more limitations on the amounts we can download or upload and internet on both computers. Awesome!
The new sofa is also awesome! So comfortable and sleep friendly.
The weather is starting to cool down and autumn is definitely in the air, I have started wearing gloves when I ride to work in the morning. The days are still beautiful, high and clear air and the sun is out. Like a winter day in Adelaide =) Unfortunately my tomatoes are still green, not sure what to do about it. But there are plenty of figs on my fig tree. At least compared to my expectations, I was very excited when I was that there was one fig coming and there are at least 5 now, one is fully grown but still green (just like the tomatoes =) and the other ones are smaller. I guess I could take a few photos and show you...
We finally have our proper internet sorted. And all the new tv channels are on their way as well as a homephone. 6th of September it should all be here. And no more limitations on the amounts we can download or upload and internet on both computers. Awesome!
The new sofa is also awesome! So comfortable and sleep friendly.
The weather is starting to cool down and autumn is definitely in the air, I have started wearing gloves when I ride to work in the morning. The days are still beautiful, high and clear air and the sun is out. Like a winter day in Adelaide =) Unfortunately my tomatoes are still green, not sure what to do about it. But there are plenty of figs on my fig tree. At least compared to my expectations, I was very excited when I was that there was one fig coming and there are at least 5 now, one is fully grown but still green (just like the tomatoes =) and the other ones are smaller. I guess I could take a few photos and show you...
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